29 Sep Japan International Health Scholar Intensive: An Immersive Healthcare Field Study in Tokyo
This past summer, COPE Health Scholars traveled to Tokyo for the Japan International Health Scholar Intensive, a 12-day immersive program developed in collaboration with UCLA Fielding School of Public Health’s Executive Programs in Health Policy and Management. More than an international experience, the intensive provides direct exposure to global health policy and practice, giving participants the opportunity to step outside the classroom and see another healthcare system in action.
Through academic sessions, hospital, clinic, and elder-care site visits, and direct conversations with healthcare executives, physicians, and policymakers, Scholars explore how the U.S. and Japan approach healthcare costs, access, financing, value-based care, and healthcare delivery. Guided by faculty including COPE Health Solutions founder Allen Miller (UCLA EMPH Graduate, Class of 2001), health system leader Arthur Gianelli of One Brooklyn Health, and Prof. Reiji Murayama, a former official with Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, participants examine how differences in policy, culture, leadership, and operations shape healthcare systems and the patient experience.
Scholars apply what they learned through a faculty-mentored comparative case study, culminating in a formal team presentation and a Certificate of Completion from the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health. Beyond the academic experience, participants explore Tokyo and travel to Mt. Fuji and Hakone, gaining additional exposure to the culture and communities surrounding the healthcare system they are studying.
For UCLA ExecHPM students and alumni, the intensive offers an opportunity to build on existing academic and professional experience through an international lens. Participants engage with professionals and emerging leaders across healthcare, public health, policy, and administration while gaining comparative policy, financing, and health system insights they can apply to their academic work, leadership development, and strategy conversations within their own organizations. The experience provides a global perspective they can bring to healthcare challenges throughout their careers.
Applications Open for Summer 2027: The International Health Scholar Intensive takes place June 17–28, 2027, in Tokyo. The cross-program cohort is limited to 64 Scholars nationwide, creating opportunities to connect with participants across healthcare, public health, policy, administration, and related fields. Early Bird tuition is available through October 23, 2026, followed by the next reduced tuition deadline on January 15, 2027.